Blade Runners

ABSTRACT

Athletic shoes may include a blade runner that may aid a wearer with speed and/or jumping. The blade runner may be an extension below the sole of the athletic shoe that may function as a lever. Inclusion of this extension may allow the wearer to run with enhanced speed and/or may improve the height and/or distance that a wearer may jump. The extension may be formed of carbon fiber and/or a composite material capable of withstanding extreme stress tolerances that may be associated with running and/or jumping. A cap may be attached to a leading edge of the extension to allow for greater traction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a non-provisional of, and claims priority to, U.S. Patent Application No. 63/355,898, filed Jun. 27, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to athletic shoes, and more particularly to athletic shoes that aid a wearer with speed and/or jumping.

BACKGROUND

Athletes are regularly looking for aids to improve their speed in running and/or improve their height and/or distance when jumping. For example, running shoes may be designed to factor in the foot's anatomy and may be optimized for natural movement. Athletes also may decrease body fat percentage, strengthen their lower body, and work on proper posture to increase their vertical jump. Long jumpers may focus on developing enhanced leg stiffness and weight training to master the art of the long jump. While one aid or technique may improve speed, another aid or technique may be needed to improve height or distance in jumping, thereby resulting in the use of multiple aids or techniques being needed.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an athletic shoe that aids a wearer with speed and/or jumping, the athletic shoe comprising: a shoe upper having a sole; and an extension attached to the sole that is capable of functioning as a lever, the extension formed of carbon fiber, a composite material, or combinations of the same. The shoe upper may have a high-top design. The shoe upper may incorporate one or more composite materials. The extension may be permanently or removably affixed to the sole of the shoe upper. The athletic shoe also may include a cap attached to a leading edge of the extension to allow for greater traction during speed and/or jumping activities. The cap may be removable and/or replaceable. The cap may be formed of plastic. The extension may extend approximately two inches below the sole of the shoe upper when attached to the sole of the shoe upper.

Other embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a blade runner attached to an athletic shoe to aid a wearer with speed and/or jumping, the blade runner comprising: an extension attached to a sole of a shoe upper, the extension capable of functioning as a lever, the extension formed of carbon fiber, a composite material, or combinations of the same. The extension may be permanently affixed or removably affixed to the sole of the shoe upper. The blade runner may also include a cap attached to a leading edge of the extension to allow for greater traction during speed and/or jumping activities. The cap may be removable and/or replaceable. The cap may be formed of plastic. The extension may extend approximately two inches below the sole of the shoe upper when attached to the sole of the shoe upper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

The FIGURE depicts an athletic shoe incorporating a blade runner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide for athletic shoes having a blade runner that may aid a wearer with speed and/or jumping. The blade runner may be an extension below the sole of the athletic shoe that may function as a lever. Inclusion of this extension may allow the wearer to run with enhanced speed and/or may improve the height and/or distance that a wearer may jump in embodiments of the present disclosure.

The FIGURE depicts an athletic shoe incorporating a blade runner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The athletic shoe may include shoe upper 101 which may have a high-top design as depicted in the FIGURE. However, it should be appreciated that shoe upper 101 may have another design without departing from the present disclosure. In embodiments of the present disclosure, shoe upper 101 may incorporate one or more composite materials so that it may withstand tolerances beyond what traditional athletic shoes may be able to endure.

Shoe upper 101 may include extension 102 that may be attached to shoe 101 at the base of sole 103 of shoe upper 101 in an embodiment of the present disclosure. While extension 102 is described herein as being attached to shoe upper 101 at the base of the sole 103 of shoe upper 101, it should be appreciated that extension 102 may be attached to shoe 101 at another place or in more than one place on shoe upper 101 without departing from the present disclosure. Extension 102 may be formed of carbon fiber and/or a composite material capable of withstanding extreme stress tolerances that may be associated with running and/or jumping. While extension 102 is described herein as being formed of certain materials, it should be appreciated that it may be formed of combinations of carbon fiber and composite materials or other similar materials without departing from the present disclosure.

Cap 104 may be attached to a leading edge of extension 102 in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Cap 104 may be attached to extension 102 to allow for greater traction. Cap 104 may be removeable and/or replaceable in embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, cap 104 may be designed to be easily replaced when worn out from regular use. In embodiments of the present disclosure, cap 104 may be formed of a plastic or other similar material. While cap 104 is described herein as being attached to a leading edge of extension 102, it should be appreciated that there may be embodiments of the present disclosure where cap 104 is attached to another portion of extension 102. It may further be appreciated that there may be embodiments of the present disclosure where cap 104 is permanently affixed to or integral with extension 102. In such embodiments, cap 104 may be formed of a material that may not easily experience wear and tear. It also should be appreciated that there may be embodiments of the present disclosure where no cap may be attached to extension 102.

It should be appreciated that athletic shoes having a blade runner according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be lightweight and tightly conforming/fitting to a wearer's foot. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide athletic shoes that may incorporate buckles and/or other attachment mechanisms similar to ski boots to ensure that they be secured to a wearer's foot during use. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the extension may extend approximately two inches below the sole of the shoe upper when attached to the sole of the shoe upper; however, it should be appreciated that a variety of sizes (i.e., different distances between the extension and the sole of the shoe upper) may be provided so that the athletic shoes may be worn and used for different specialized activities including, but not limited to, speed running, high jumping and long jumping without departing from the present disclosure.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

1. An athletic shoe that aids a wearer with speed and/or jumping, the athletic shoe comprising: a shoe upper having a sole; and an extension attached to the sole that is capable of functioning as a lever, the extension formed of carbon fiber, a composite material, or combinations of the same.
 2. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein the shoe upper has a high-top design.
 3. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein the shoe upper incorporates one or more composite materials.
 4. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein the extension is permanently affixed to the sole of the shoe upper.
 5. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein the extension is removably affixed to the sole of the shoe upper.
 6. The athletic shoe of claim 1 further comprising: a cap attached to a leading edge of the extension to allow for greater traction during speed and/or jumping activities.
 7. The athletic shoe of claim 6, wherein the cap is removable and/or replaceable.
 8. The athletic shoe of claim 6, wherein the cap is formed of plastic.
 9. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein the extension extends approximately two inches below the sole of the shoe upper when attached to the sole of the shoe upper.
 10. A blade runner attached to an athletic shoe to aid a wearer with speed and/or jumping, the blade runner comprising: an extension attached to a sole of a shoe upper, the extension capable of functioning as a lever, the extension formed of carbon fiber, a composite material, or combinations of the same.
 11. The blade runner of claim 10, wherein the extension is permanently affixed to the sole of the shoe upper.
 12. The blade runner of claim 10, wherein the extension is removably affixed to the sole of the shoe upper.
 13. The blade runner of claim 10 further comprising: a cap attached to a leading edge of the extension to allow for greater traction during speed and/or jumping activities.
 14. The blade runner of claim 13, wherein the cap is removable and/or replaceable.
 15. The blade runner of claim 13, wherein the cap is formed of plastic.
 16. The blade runner of claim 10, wherein the extension extends approximately two inches below the sole of the shoe upper when attached to the sole of the shoe upper. 